GIANT BANJO BECOMES EIFFEL TOWER OF BRANSON, MISSOURI

GIANT BANJO BECOMES EIFFEL TOWER OF BRANSON, MISSOURI

BRANSON, Mo. (Wireless Flash) -- A 62-foot-tall statue of a giant banjo has become to Branson, Missouri, what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. The monstrous musical instrument is the brainstorm of Branson businessman Glen Robinson, who says he wanted to have a landmark fitting the city's reputation as a country music capital. Robinson originally planned to make a giant guitar statue, but switched to a banjo after deciding large guitar statues were old hat. The giant banjo doesn't actually play music, but it does have a diameter of 15 feet, a 47-foot-tall neck and five fiber optic strings that strobe in Las Vegas-like colors. Robinson plans to add a 45-foot-tall statue of a fiddle later this year.